How much does a week on the Korn Ferry Tour cost – and what’s left over at the end? American golfer James Nicholas provides honest insights into his tournament weeks on Instagram and in a video format and shows: The road to the PGA Tour is not only tough in sporting terms, but also financially demanding.
Nicholas played strongly at the Argentina Open and finished tied 29th (T-29th). This earned him prize money of 6,575 US dollars – sounds solid, but this is offset by 5,825 US dollars in expenses. The flight to South America alone cost him 1,850 dollars and the hotel was 1,400 dollars. Further costs were incurred for meals, transportation and the caddie. Because he made the cut, he paid his caddie an additional bonus of 460 dollars. The bottom line was that he only made a profit of 750 dollars.
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Korn Ferry Tour: Top 30 finish needed to just cover the costs
Just a few weeks later, the reality of many professionals set in: Nicholas missed the cut in Sarasota – and therefore received no prize money. To save costs, he traveled by car and stayed with friends for free. He was therefore able to do without hotel costs. Nevertheless, his expenses amounted to 2,050 dollars. Most of this was accounted for by the basic caddie allowance of 1,500 dollars. Other costs included food, gasoline and a small fee for the on-site locker.
Nicholas emphasizes in his posts that he is grateful for his sponsors, who provide him with equipment, clubs, balls and clothing. Nevertheless, it is clear that without consistent top results, life on the Korn Ferry Tour is hardly financially sustainable. If you don’t make the cut, you don’t receive any prize money – but the expenses remain.
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